In this episode I invite you to open your mind to the potential around our coastlines. It's easy to overlook the value of the soils that are hidden underwater and the life that they support, but these blue carbon ecosystems are significant right across the globe. We are losing them, and the work to restore them can be even more challenging to fund than with projects in land.

This is a catch up with Diana Denke, co-founder of Fair Carbon.

You'll find the link below to our previous episode with Diana, where she helped us to break down the barriers to understanding finance around nature based solutions.

Here she returns with equally valuable insights around developing projects for restoring blue carbon ecosystems.

We chat about:

• Blue carbon ecosystems - what they are & why they're so valuable
• Barriers to blue carbon projects
• The role of communities for long term success

Episode Links:

• Fair Carbon website https://www.faircarbon.org/
• Nature Based Solutions - previous We Are Carbon conversation with Diana https://www.wearecarbon.earth/nature-based-solutions-diana-denke/
• 'Carbon Builds Life' - We Are Carbon compilation with Diana https://www.wearecarbon.earth/because-carbon-builds-life/

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Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

03:59 - What are Blue Carbon ecosystems

06:16 - The values of Blue Carbon ecosystems

13:20 - Developing with communities

21:51 - Leading with mangrove restoration

28:04 - Barriers to starting a project (and some solutions)

36:50 - Why have 80% of projects failed?

40:23 - Growing the Blue Carbon market & steps for Fair Carbon

How can we think differently about food? And how can food help us to think differently?

These questions are from the literature for the beautiful project that's at the heart of this discussion.

A Taste of Change brings together research and food experiences in a three year arc that seeks to spark new energy and connection for a more just food system, focused in the UK. It's created by Dr Miche Fabre Lewin, Dr Flora Gathorne-Hardy [Living Justice] and Daphne Lambert [Greencuisine Trust].

It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to dive into the ideas behind this work with all three of them together.

We chat about:

• The women behind the project
• The role of art in systems change
• What it means to be a 'food citizen'
• What is 'A Taste of Change'?

Watch & share the 3 min 'Taste of Change' video: https://youtu.be/f14hh34lX9M

More about the project -

"A Taste of Change brings together the creative and collective power of food and the arts. As a three-year arc of socially-engaged research residencies, the project is conceived by ground-making trio Daphne Lambert, eco-nutritionist and food educator of Greencuisine Trust, in collaboration with Miche Fabre Lewin and Flora Gathorne-Hardy, artist-curators and cultural practitioners of Living Justice. Together, their work places the matter of food at the heart of healing and transformative action to restore communities of well being, justice and biodiversity of habitat."

Living Justice Website: https://livingjustice.earth/

Greencuisine Trust Website: https://www.greencuisinetrust.org/

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Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

02:50 - Overview of A Taste of Change

08:38 - The women behind the project

24:10 - The role of art in systems change

34:33 - What is a food citizen?

37:47 - What challenges are you addressing?

44:26 - What's happening this year?

In this episode we return to one of my favourite topics - that microscopic life that lives in the soil.

After recognising the significance of soil life for supporting the climate, Daniel Tyrkiel set about exploring solutions that would support farmers to support and work with the biology in soil. The desire was to create a plug and play solution; something easy and accessible that allows farmers to shift from chemicals to biology without a need for heavy learning or investment.

Daniel's company Soil Ecology Laboratory are becoming recognised for their innovative products which are continually being developed and explored further.

It was a pleasure to chat with Daniel and learn about the mindset behind the products and his determination which seems to have been inspired by his mentor Dr Elaine Ingham.

We talk about:

• The significance of soil life
• The barriers to supporting soil life on farms
• The products & evolution of Soil Ecology Laboratory

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Resources Shared by Daniel:

• Recent news about Soil Ecology Laboratory - https://www.farminguk.com/News/-goop-boosts-soil-life-on-welsh-farm-in-no-input-trial_66709.html
• Soil Ecology Lab website: https://soilecologylab.co.uk/
• Consumer product website: https://soilsmiths.co.uk/

Learn more about Soil Ecology:

• Teaming With Microbes (book by Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis)
• Google Scholar - look up Dr Elaine Inghams' Ecological Monograph from 1986

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Learn more with We Are Carbon:

Soil Life -

• Decoding Soil Biology with Adrian Ferrero https://www.wearecarbon.earth/podcast-episode/soil-biology-transition-to-regenerative-farming/
• Soil; Living Support for Plants & Climate with Christo Miliotis https://www.wearecarbon.earth/podcast-episode/soil-microorganisms-plants-climate/

Farming Transition -

• The Weather Proof Farm with Niels Corfield https://www.wearecarbon.earth/weatherproof-farm-niels-corfield/
• We Can Regenerate! with Finian Makepeace https://www.wearecarbon.earth/podcast-episode/finian-makepeace-we-can-regenerate/
• Holistic Management with Shiela Cooke https://www.wearecarbon.earth/podcast-episode/holistic-management-transition-mindset-farming/

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Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

06:12 - Why learn about soil life?

10:00 - The barriers to support soil life on farms...